Shichifukujin

Shichifukujin

the seven gods of good fortune

one missing & replaced with a penis, symbol of strength & longevity

Japanese, cast stoneware, some painted with pigment

each one containing a rattling clay bead, the bearded head 1.5" high

from a temple market, Osaka

Fish Basket

Fish Basket

early C20th, hand woven, willow, 16" high

from Rusness, Sanday

Japanese Shells

Japanese Shells

collected at Ishikawa on the west coast

from the Sea of Japan

Remains of Life Belt

Remains of Life Belt

steel ring, polystyrene, once-fluorescent nylon

additional blue string entangled

from the sea

Polystyrene Floats

Polystyrene Floats

lost from fishing boats, some with their boat numbers carved into them

L516 ( lower left ) - 23" high

from the sea

Kettle

Kettle

aluminium, dented & handleless

from the sea

Whale Rib & Tusk

Whale Rib

4ft long section

Tusk, complete, 3ft long - possibly walrus 

found in John Scott's worship in the stables at stove

The cut section of whale rib is porous and surprisingly light. The unidentified tusk is very dense and heavy. When found this had been coated in a thin layer of white gloss paint which has subsequently been removed by the rain and wind.

Special Nosegay

Special Nosegay

empty tobacco tin, 1930's, 5" across

W&F Faulker, Imperial tobacco

found in John Scott's workshop at Stove

Turks Cap Lily

Turks Cap Lily

planted by Helen Scott

found every year among nettles in her overgrown garden

Child's Writing Slate

Child's School Slate

early C20th, slate, wood, 11" high

with The Brittania Box of slate pencils, made in Germany

from Burness, Sanday

Helen Scott started school in 1905 and would have used a slate like this. Although she loved the school, circumstances meant that she had to leave aged 14 when she began work as a servant at Stove. In her childhood memories she writes - " It was a dreadful day of rain when I first went to school at the very early age of four and a half years. My first teacher was Miss Stout. Being so young and small she was by no means rough on me and in fact I thought of her as a kind sort of person. But I knew she was anything but kind to some of the Scholars, especially one boy ".

Sicilian Dolls

Sicilian Costume Dolls

1950's made in Italy with labels still attached

machine stitched, stuffed with sawdust, the orange seller 8" high

from Kirkwall Salvation army shop

Bedpan

Bedpan

late C19th - early C20th, porcelain, rolled rim, 13" across

from Sanday Recycling Centre

Apron

Apron

mid C20th, cotton, 17" long

from Sanday School Fair

Tapestry

Tapestry

canvas, wool, 15" across

may have been made for a Kirk hassock

from Sanday Recycling Centre

Willow Pattern Teapot

Willow Pattern Teapot

1920's, tin, enamel, one cup, 5" high

from Sanday Recycling Centre

Viking Spindle Whorl

Viking Spindle Whorl

chlorite schist, imported from Scandinavia, late C8th - C13th, 3.5 cm. across

discover in in soil eroded from cliff face

 found at Pool, Sanday

"In the eroding cliff face at Pool you can see all the layers of human history with a Neolithic 4th Mil. B.C. settlement at the bottom and the 9th - 11th century Viking occupation higher up. Excavations in the 80's revealed a number of similar soft stone artefacts. Mostly what you see is a few structures, masses of burnt pot boilers and thick midden deposits with winkle, limpet shells and bones from sheep, cow, pig and wild horse". - Seth Priestman, archaeologist.

Scallop Shells

Scallop Shells

the largest 5" across

found on the island of Rousay

from the sea

Law Enforcement Target

Silhouette Target

plastic, E type, military style, "waffle" target/bobber, 41" high

lifespan of up to 5000 rounds

from the sea

Wild Flowers

Wild Flowers

from the banks of Stove Bay

Wallpaper

Wallpaper

early C20th, separated layers

from Quivals Farmhouse, Sanday

Sanday Strawberries

Sanday Strawberries

lockdown gift, summer 2020, grown at Crudy

found on the doorstep at Stove

Cat with Kitten

Cat with Kitten

plaster of Paris, hand painted, 4" high

SOOTO 91 R.M. scratched on base

 found on Helen Scott's bedroom mantlepiece

Painting of Stove

Painting of Stove by Helen Scott 

poster paint, folded brown paper, 12 " across

At the bottom , written in biro

STOVE, SANDAY, MAY 11th 1972   H.P.S.

found at Stove

The writing is from a recently uncovered notebook of Helen Scott's and if the date on the painting is accurate means that the she did the picture on the exact date of the fire. The view is from her garden in the field behind Stove. The building nearest the house is the stable block, next the large steading, engine shed and boiler house. The stables only suffered minor roof damage but the other out buildings in her painting were completely burnt out by the fire.

The tenant of No 3 holding was her husband John Scott.

Broken Machinery

Broken Machinery

1860's, rusted steel, 21" across

found in the burnt out buildings at Stove

During the 1860's a huge building project converted Stove into Stove Model Farm, an industrial and social experiment in farming. By the early C20th this was abandoned and the property divided into crofter's holdings for returning WW1 servicemen. Most of the Model Farm buildings were destroyed by fire, believed to be arson, in the 1970's. This conflagration could be seen from Kirkwall many miles away across the sea. The walls and factory chimney survived.

Cooker Element

Cooker Element

radiant ring, stainless steel, 7" across

from the sea

Fisherman's Glove

Fisherman's Glove

rubber, missing the little finger

from the sea

Often found, the gloves are either orange or blue, almost always the left hand.

Mangle

Wringer-Mangle

ACME, 1950's steel, rubber,17" across

made by Acme Wringers Ltd. David Street, Glasgow

from the sea

You've done a good wash -

Now make it even better !

However well you wash your clothes, the final results still depend on the wringing, and only Acme wringing makes it certain that washday after washday your clothes will babe as clean, crisp and sparkling as ever you could desire. Five million women already know this. whether they use a washing machine, sink or tub, they all say. . . . .

However you wash-

You should have 

ACME wringing

(1950's  newspaper advertisement )